Sport

Seconds Out: Chad Magill leads the way as County Antrim come up trumps against Kildare select

County Antrim’s James Kelly (left) in action against Kildare’s Nico Donoghue during their boy 2 31kg clash at Corpus Christi College on Saturday. The Holy Trinity fighter went on to get the nod from the judges on a split decision. Picture by Mark Marlow
County Antrim’s James Kelly (left) in action against Kildare’s Nico Donoghue during their boy 2 31kg clash at Corpus Christi College on Saturday. The Holy Trinity fighter went on to get the nod from the judges on a split decision. Picture by M County Antrim’s James Kelly (left) in action against Kildare’s Nico Donoghue during their boy 2 31kg clash at Corpus Christi College on Saturday. The Holy Trinity fighter went on to get the nod from the judges on a split decision. Picture by Mark Marlow

COUNTY Antrim defeated a Kildare select 6-3 at Corpus Christi College on the Whiterock Road last Saturday, in what was a superb exhibition of underage boxing.

The inter-county match was presented by the County Antrim Board, in association with Belfast City Council’s amateur boxing strategy.

Glengormley’s Chad Magill turned in the performance of the afternoon as he forced a second round stoppage of Cale Brennan in their boy 1 52kg clash.

Other Antrim winners included Cillian McNally of St Paul’s, who was a unanimous winner over Dennis O’Reilly at 41.5kg, while Holy Trinity’s James Kelly scored a split decision victory against Nico Donoghue in their 31kg showdown.

Ardoyne’s Gerard Flynn beat Willie Carthy at 40kg, Rathfriland’s Donagh Keary did the business in his 52kg clash with Rocky Reilly and Ardoyne youth boxer Jojo McArdle took a 2-1 split win against Tony O’Reilly.

Kildare’s wins came courtesy of Calvin Doyle at 31kg, John Donoghue at 48kg and Mike Donoghue at 48kg.

And the action doesn’t stop there, with Corpus Christi set to host another big event on Saturday, March 16 when Antrim schoolboys takes on Dublin schoolboys on a 28-fight show.

This is a free event so come along and show your support to the boxers. Bout list as follows.

28kg: D McLaughlin (Saints) v S Gibbons (Bracken); 31kg: J McArdle (Ardoyne) v A Keogh (Drimnagh); 31kg: M Dawson (Lisburn) v J Collins (Drimnagh)33kg: D Morgan (Lisburn) v P Parkinson (Cabra); 33kg: A Scott (Glengormley) v J Maughan (Crumlin); 35kg: JJ Boyle (Clonard) v R Abdulnasser (Ballymun); 37kg: Y Khalifa (Rathfrialdn) v C Murray-Lynch (Avona); 38.5kg: C McKeown (All Saints) v A Abdulnasser (Ballymun); 41.5kg: C O’Neill (Star) v C Ronan (Docklands); 42kg: C Fox (Oliver Plunkett) v D McDonagh (Crumlin); 44.5kg: A Ritchie (All Saints) v M Maughan (Whitechurch); 31kg: J Kelly (Holy Trinity) v J Musgrove (Mulhuddart); 33kg: S Thompson (Spartans) v L Cooney (St Pappin’s); 34kg: J Graham (Clonard) v M McDonagh (Avona); 38.5kg: A Hunter (Saints) v K Griffin (Drimnagh); 40kg: O McCann (St Paul’s) v T Brennan (Cherry Orchard); 41kg: R Ireland (Corpus Christi) v D Flynn (St Pappin’s); 41.5kg: J Molyneaux (Holy Trinity) v N McDaid (St Pappin’s); 47kg: D McShane (St Paul’s) v C Valsberg (Cherry Orchard); 48kg: D Fitzpatrick (Saints) v B Hawthorn (Donore); 29kg: K Reilly (Immaculata) v N Feeney (Drimnagh); 31kg: L Rooney (Star) v B Joyce (Mulhuddart); 36kg: L Hanna (Townland) v C Ruth (Cabra); 37kg: D Magill (Glengormley) v P Fitzgerald (Corinthians); 41.5kg: B Stokes (Loughshore) v A Genockey (Docklands); 46kg: J Kelly (Loughshore) v P McDonagh (Crumlin); 51kg: M Nolan (Corpus Christi) v J Curtis (Docklands); 60kg: E O’Donnell (East Down) v T Begley (Cherry Orchard)

MEANWHILE, a 10-strong Irish team flew out to Russia last night ahead of the start of the European Men’s and Women’s U22 Championships.

Five of the squad – Amy Broadhurst, Aoife O’Rourke, Gabriel Dossen, Adam Hession and David Oliver Joyce – claimed elite belts last month. Limerick’s Paddy Donovan, who lost out to Galway’s Kieran Molloy in the welterweight final, is also included on the team and must be considered a major medal hope.

Dundalk southpaw Broadhurst defends her title having claimed European U22 gold in Romania last March, while O’Rourke took silver.

However, there was major disappointment for some of the other young fighters who claimed Irish U22 titles back in January after being overlooked for this squad.

It is understood that representations were made to the Irish Athletic Boxing Association on behalf of Kevin Sheehy (St Francis’s), Keylan Cassidy (Saviours), Neil Fox (Rathkeale), Courtney Daly (Crumlin) and Colm Murphy from the St George’s club in Belfast.

Murphy claimed the 56kg title after defeating JP Hale, just six days after the Star man had got the nod in a cracking Ulster Elite final showdown at the Ulster Hall.

Boxing begins in Vladikavkaz on Friday, with the finals taking place on St Patrick’s Day.

Ireland U22 squad

Female

51kg: N Earley (Ryston); 57kg: M Geraghty (St Anthony’s); 60kg: A Broadhurst (Dealgan); 64kg: S O’Callaghan (Clann Naofa); 75kg: A O’Rourke (Castlerea)

Male

52kg: A Hession (Monivea); 60kg: D Joyce (Ballymun); 64kg: P O’Leary (Dublin Docklands); 69kg: P Donovan (OLOL); 75kg: G Dossen (Olympic)

Team manager: S Molloy; Head coach: D Dmitruk; Coaches: A Just, P Keogh; R&J: S Kelly

INSET

TWO of Ulster’s hottest prospects are part of an Irish squad currently in Italy for a training camp.

World and European youth bronze medallist Jude Gallagher, from the Two Castles club in Newtownstewart, and Holy Trinity’s Jon McConnell – who claimed European junior bronze in Russia last October - are training in the mountain region of San Lorenzo.

Flyweight Gallagher’s father John is team manager, with Tom Hayes the coach.

Also on the squad are Dean Clancy (Ballinacarrow), Brandon McCarthy (St Michael’s, Athy), Barry O’Connor (Sliabh Luachra), William Hayden (Crumlin), Adam Matthews (Monkstown, Dublin), Jason Myers (Titans) and Patrick Myers (Sligo City).

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OFF LEAD WITH PIC

THE Northern Ireland Ex-Boxers’ Association is back up and running – and has appealed for any new members to come and join them.

Following a lull of a few years, the group will meet this Saturday 12.15pm in the National Club on Belfast’s Queen Street.

Among those spearheading the revival is Sean McCafferty.

The St John Bosco man - who was just 19 when he represented Ireland at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo - is joined by some other greats from Belfast’s illustrious boxing past, including the likes of Terry Milligan, Pat Campbell, Cecil Martin, Wiber Graham Paddy McKenna and Sammy Vernon.

And McCafferty hopes those numbers can increase in time.

“The Northern Ireland Ex-Boxers’ Association was always a great way for people to come together and just have a chat about different things,” he said.

“In the past you would’ve had the likes of Sammy Cosgrove, Al Gibson, Skinner Doherty, Freddie Gilroy, John Caldwell, but it sort of fell away for a few years when a couple of members passed away.

“So we just decided to try and get it back up and running because it was a bit of craic, and the plan is to meet every month and see where it goes. Anybody who maybe reads this and would like to join us is more than welcome.”

The Northern Ireland Ex-Boxers’ Association plan to meet on the second Saturday of every month.